Video Overview of Benton County:Learn more about Benton County by watching our Video TourBook, located on the website homepage as well as at this link.

Where is Benton County?Benton County is located in Eastern Washington on the boarder of Oregon. Click here to view a map.

How large is Benton County?Benton County is 1,760 square miles in size, and home to the Hanford Reach National Monument. The 2015 Census population came in at 190,309.

What cities are in Benton County (in order from largest to smallest population)?KennewickRichlandWest RichlandProsserBenton City

What other recognized communities are located in Benton County?FinleyKionaPatersonPlymouthWhitstran

Benton County is in Washington, it must rain a lot there?In Washington State, east of the Cascade Mountains, the climate is semi-arid. Benton County only sees 7.6 inches of rainfall on average, and temperatures range from -25 F in the winter to 110 F in the summer.

How did the area come to be the Tri-Cities? What are the Tri-Cities?The Hanford/Manhattan Project started in December of 1942 when the Army Corps of Engineers found this area to be "ideal in virtually all respects," to start the construction of industrial-sized plants for manufacturing plutonium and uranium. The Tri-Cities are made up of Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco (Franklin County) and are located where the Yakima River, Columbia River, and Snake River all meet.

What is the Hanford Reservation, aka "Hanford Site"?Hanford is operated by the U.S. Federal Government, and is mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex on the Columbia River. The Hanford Site produced many notable technological achievements, including the original Atomic Bomb. Today, Hanford is home to 11,000 employees involved in the cleanup project - this includes research and development of the waste.Why relocate to Benton County?Benton County is a great place to raise a family, start a new business, continue your education, or retire. Within Benton County you will find an excellent school system, unique local flavor, low traffic congestion, low crime rate, less than seven inches of precipitation a year, a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, and limitless regional attractions including more than 200 wineries within a one-hour drive.

For questions or comments please contact the Human Resources Department at HR@co.benton.wa.us or by phone 509-737-2777.